"It is my hope to recall this great shade from the past, and not only invest him with his panoply, but make him living and intimate to modern eyes."—from the preface to Volume OneJohn Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. Victorious in the Battles of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and countless other campaigns, Marlborough, whose political intrigues were almost as legendary as his military skill, never fought a battle he didn't win. Although he helped James II crush the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, Marlborough later supported William of Orange against James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and brilliantly managed England's diplomatic triumphs during the War of the Spanish Succession. Marlborough also bequeathed the world another great British military strategist and diplomat—his descendant, Winston S. Churchill, wrote this book.Churchill's Marlborough stands as both a literary and historical masterpiece, giving us unique insights into the Churchill of World War II, for just as Churchill's literary skill helps us understand the complexities of Marlborough's life, so too did his writing of Marlborough help Churchill master the arts of military strategy and diplomacy. Ten years in the making, Marlborough His Life and Times is Churchill's greatest biography; it may in fact be his greatest book. To understand the Churchill of World War II, the majestic blending of his commanding English with historical precedent, one has to read Marlborough. Only in its pages can one glean an understanding of the root of the speeches that inspired Britain to stand when she had little else to stand with. The great teacher Leo Strauss, commenting spontaneously to his University of Chicago class after hearing of Churchill's death, named Marlborough "the greatest historical work written in our century, an inexhaustible mine of political wisdom and understanding, which should be required reading for every student of political science."Originally published in four volumes this is a single volume edition running nearly 1000 pages long. Title: Marlborough: His Life and Times Author Name: Churchill, Winston S Location Published: Charles Scribner's Sons: 1968 Binding: hardcover Book Condition: Excellent Pages: 983 Categories: European Wars 1700s, Commanders & Leaders Seller ID: 1423
